Occupational Health

Where an employee’s absence is prolonged or frequent the employer will need to know if there are particular medical reasons for it, along with those given in a GP’s Fit Note. Some kind of occupational health (OH) assessment may be called for. Occupational health professionals (doctors and nurses) can work as independent professionals or as part of an OH provider service.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) sees the role of OH services in the context of things the employer must do itself to make sure workers’ health is not adversely affected by their work and that workers are medically fit to carry out their work safely, including:

• implementing health or medical surveillance when necessary;

• ensuring workers are medically fit to undertake the role required (their industry may produce such standards); and

• reviewing their risk assessment when a worker is returning to work following sickness absence or declares a health condition.

To that list, the HSE adds complying with equality legislation when supporting workers both in and returning to work; and actions aimed at improving the general health and well-being of workers (although those “should not be prioritised over the things you must do, should be based on your workers’ needs and be evidence based”).